30th Alumni Retreat: What We Learned

Last month, 45 good friends, colleagues and staff – both past and present – gathered on a perfect Saturday afternoon in Boulder at Chautauqua in a retreat to honor the first 30 years of Colorado Preservation, Inc. We asked everyone to roll up their sleeves, work in small groups and dive into four signature action areas driving the work of our organization. They brainstormed and debated. Critiqued and challenged. Laughed and reflected. Mostly, the groups looked ahead and visualized. The small group reports revealed a variety of essential recommendations we are already putting to use in guiding our efforts ahead. Afterwards we celebrated, collaborated and caught up with drinks, good food and a group photo. To those who joined us and for the rest of you who were unable to make the trip to Boulder, this summary captures the top takeaways and a number of fresh, achievable ideas:

Endangered Places Program:

Priorities:

Streamline the nomination and review processes and make both more transparent; use technology!

Showcase Saves with positive PR

Publish and promote the entire list and consider limiting the total number of EPP sites

Secure creative program funding such as sponsorships

Innovative ideas:

Develop a mentorship program including board engagement and “Saved” places who mentor other endangered sites

Aim to increase membership/supporter numbers through Advocacy outreach efforts and, subsequently, build a robust army of effective, passionate advocates (position CPI as The Voice of preservation as the statewide advocate)

Expand geographic base to all areas of the state

Re-message “preservation” to the value of connecting citizens to “place” and making preservation relevant to citizens statewide

Innovative ideas:

Develop a program to train preservation leaders of all ages and at all levels (local, state and federal) best practices in effective, classic grassroots advocacy methods

Explore funding mechanisms used by other statewide preservation organizations to support their Public Policy/Advocacy missions

Develop a robust, effective, and coordinated outreach campaign means of communicating with supporters including social media.

A huge thank you to everyone who came out, brainstormed, remembered and encouraged! We will be working to ramp up our programs to focus on the priorities and innovative ideas that came out of this exercise. Cheers to the next 30 years!

One Comment

To increase membership, require everyone who attends the CPI conference, to become a member, perhaps for only 1/2 year at a reduced price. Then CPI can market these new members and encourage them to become full time members.

Reach out to preservation boards, and develop a way to have the boards become members, perhaps through a BOARD membership. It is amazing how many individual board members, that make preservation decisions, are not members of CPI.

I would support moving the conference to a different time of the year. The only issue I would have, is that it has been in february for a few decades, and is ingrained in the attendees. But is would resolve some of the weather related issues.

Perhaps look at messaging and changing the preservation terminology. The word PRESERVATION, has a negative connotation with property owners. It is really an action that is taken on a building. If the messaging where to be about Cultural or Heritage protection, it broadens the idea of preserving history, and then preservation becomes the action for actual work on a resource.

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Featured Project

4 Bar 4 Ranch

Homesteaded in 1895 by Dick McQueary to provide a stop for the Georgetown Stage Line, the 320-acre 4 Bar 4 Ranch has strong ties to Grand County and Colorado's heritage. The Georgetown Stage Line traveled on the road through the 4 Bar 4 Ranch from Idaho Springs to Hot Sulphur Springs over Berthoud Pass. In 1895 a roadhouse and stage stop were constructed on the ranch. The hotel and barn were constructed using trees from the Ranch property, and the hotel remained open for travelers coming over Berthoud Pass by horseback and wagon until 1913. With the coming of the automobile, the roadway over Berthoud Pass and through the 4 Bar 4 Ranch was considered an integral part of the Trans-Continental “Midland Trail” highway. Following the closing of the stage line, the ranch continued to host travelers until 1912 or 1913 when it was purchased and converted into a Ford Motor Company . Ford vehicles were sold here until 1917, when Harry Larkin purchased the ranch site. Today emergency efforts are underway to ensure it survives through the winter. Donations are in need. To learn more, contact Jennifer Orrigo Charles at jorrigocharlges@coloradopreservation.org.